remaking a new horn

[mckutzy]

i have a some parts to build a new powderhorn, i would like to mate a Valve/spout from a powder horn i found in a bunch of junk one day, its a brass thumb lever type with an ajustable measure spout. it has "Sykes patent, Extra quality" and "Sykes" on the spout. it isnt in good shape for the body, looks like some one tryed to fix it or do some thing with it, it had 2 epoxied copper sides and the body is rusty.
all in all the valve works good and the spout unscrews altho slighly damaged.
My question is should i cut off the top and mate it to a cow horn that i also bought.

 

[paulvallandigham]

HELL NO! Valves on powder horns are just plain dangerous. Valves leak, and when the take on residue of black powder on the insideof the gate, they don't even close off the tube from the powder horn. If you pour powder form the valved tube into a barrel with an ember in it, it not only will set off the smaller powder charge being dumped dwon the barrel, it will also lgnite that bomb in your hand we politely call a " powder horn ".

If you must use that valve make a separate leather pouch to fit it to throw shot, or even corn meal or some other filler to put on top of the pwoder charge to protect your patches from burning, and provide a gas seal. I have a metal flask made in Italy that I was given to use with a .36 cal. revolver. The revolver is long gone, sold to someone for parts. The flask now carries my corn meal filler. I cleaned that gate enough to know that on any humid day, residue would collect on both side of that gate, often freezing it up until I took it apart and cleaned it. I stopped putting powder in it as soon as it finished shooting all the powder in that flask the first time. I then cleaned it out, and filled it with corn meal. Works fine for that purpose.

 

[mckutzy]

Now, just so were on the same page the 'flask' I have has a simular top to the one pictured below,
i would never dispence powder into a gun, but in to a measure, i just stated that it had one on it and was wondering if i should just keep it or re build it. :redface:
unfourunatly i dont have a camera to picture it here but here a simular example.
[url] http://www.dixiegunworks.com/...&osCsid=8b90a9c7a2067ff3b953fb493172777c[/url]

 

[DougMPhoto]

Anyone pouring from the horn directly into the barrel, whether it has a valve or not, is asking for trouble. You always pour from the horn into a measure THEN into the barrel.

May not be PC but is is safer.

This is not only smart, it is required on most if not ALL ranges.

 

[chipper]

I would probably heat up the horn/spout with a heat gun and pull it apart. The heat should weaken the glue enough to enable this. That's of course if it's held together with glue. I would then mount it exactly like it was mounted in the other horn. Simply use the old horn for the measurements that you need for the new one.

I hope that helps.

Regards
Loyd Shindelbower

 

[mckutzy]

thanx guys, i definatly know about holding a "handgrenade" in front of the muzzle, and not worried about being PC or not, i just didnt want to posibly further damage an antique, might be worth somthing, i doubt it but hey. im thinking tho i will continue on building. thanks again...ill take pics soon if i can when im done

 

[mckutzy]

after a moment of thought, i cut off the spout, the flask was far rustier than i thought but the spout worked fine. i also cut off aproximently where the spout should be on the horn. the horn is'nt round so mateing it perfectly wont be easy, fourtunatly im learn a lot for a first horn build. on the horn there is fare amount of material to shape to be round and have a better fit.

 

[DougMPhoto]

You can boil the horn and form it around a dowel the size of your spout. Thats how they mate the wooden plugs and produce flat horns.

 

[SainthoodDenied]

Here is a site that you may get some helpful info from as well.
[url] http://www.nmroyalrangers.org/FCF/making_a_powder_horn.htm[/url]

Chad

 

[mckutzy]

nice idea with the dowel, ill have to possibly do the same with the top to fit the spout, boiling and streaching with the dowel.